MGM+ and the BBC have picked up an adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities starring Kit Harington (Industry, Game of Thrones), François Civil (Beating Hearts, The Three Musketeers) and Mirren Mack (Miss Austen, Hedda).
Daniel West (leading Boy) is creator and Hong Khao is set to direct the four-part Charles Dickens adaptation, which has been acquired by MGM+ and the BBC and comes from Federation Stories alongside Thriker Films. It will air next year.
The iconic Dickens novel is set in London, 1782. Tensions run high in the war between France and Britain as a young woman, Lucie Manette (Mack) has her life upended when she receives a message from Paris – her father, assumed dead for almost 20 years, may be alive. The messenger – idealistic French emigré, Charles Darnay (Civil) – is arrested and charged with treason. Lucie enlists the help of a brilliant but erratic young lawyer, Sydney Carton (Harington), to free Darnay in the hope he will lead her to Paris to track down her father.
The 1859 novel is considered one of Dickens best and one of the best of the 19th century. A 1980 movie version directed by Jim Goddard starred Chris Sarandon and Peter Cushing. Nine years later, a mini series starring James Wilby and Xavier Deluc aired on ITV.
Harington and West said: “We could not be more thrilled to be working with [Federation’s] Polly, Sarah, Leo and the team at Federation to bring Dickens’ revolutionary epic to the screen. A Tale of Two Cities is the original historical blockbuster – a heartbreaking romance and a brutal revenge mystery, all set against the iconic backdrop of the French Revolution. Our adaptation will be a twisting period thriller; one with a contemporary, volatile love triangle at its heart.”
Michael Wright, Head of MGM+, added: “We’re truly thrilled at the opportunity to bring A Tale of Two Cities to our viewers. With its exceptional cast led by Kit Harington, François Civil, and Mirren Mack, combined with Hong Khaou’s visionary direction, this collaboration with Federation Stories, Thriker Films, and Federation Studio France perfectly aligns with our commitment to deliver entertaining, cinematic, classic Hollywood storytelling for a contemporary audience.”
Tale of Two Cities studio Federation is currently seeking investment and has been making a trade recently of adapting older novels including Around the World in 80 Days and Gulliver’s Travels. Speaking to Deadline earlier this year, Federation bosses said they have eight to 10 such international co-pros in the works.
The executive producers of Tale of Two Cities are Polly Williams and Sarah Best for Federation Stories, Léo Becker for Federation Studio France, and Harington and West for Thriker Films, alongside Michael Wright for MGM+. Producer is Simon Meyers (I May Destroy You). The show is created and written by West.
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